Demountable and portable antenna constructions



April 1968 D. R. CARR ETAL 3,377,595

DEMOUNTABL-E AND PORTABLE ANTENNA CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Oct. 16, 1964 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Ea. .Z.

INVENTORS. 00/14440 ,6 (4,66 A d /d/t/ffl ,4. 55CCW/ %7'70 Mil 5 April1968 D. R. CARR ETAL 3,377,595

DEMOUNTABLE AND PORTABLE ANTENNA CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Oct. 16, 1964 3Sheets-Sheet 2 April 1963 D. R. CARR ETAL 3,377,595

DEMOUNTABLE AND PORTABLE ANTENNA CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Oct. 16, 1964 5Sheets-Sheet 5 HOA/E YCOMB PEFL EC 7'01? HO/VE YCOME RE F L EC 70/? HOMEYC 0MB EEFLEC T01? United States Patent 3,377,595 DEMOUNTABLE ANDPORTABLE ANTENNA CONSTRUCTIONS Donald R. Carr, Lemon Grove, and AlfonsoA. Braccini, La Mesa, Califl, assignors to Whittaker Corporation, LosAngeles, Calif, a corporation of California Filed Oct. 16, 1964, Ser.No. 404,468 Claims. (Cl. 343-713) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A traileris used to transport an antenna in its disassembled condition and tosupport the antenna after it is assembled in the form of a largeparabolic reflector on the upper end of a tower, the tower beingrotatably mounted at its lower end on a plate which, in turn, is pivotedon the trailer bed. The tower at its upper end pivotally mounts a pairof yoke members upon which connected halves of a two-piece centerreflector section are pivoted about a horizontal axis to provideadjustment in elevation of the parabolic reflector. Azimuth adjust mentis provided by rotating the tower about a vertical axis on such pivotedplate.

The present invention relates to means and techniques particularlyuseful in the constructions of reflectors and antennas, which areparticularly useful in those antenna and reflector structures where itis desired to be able to assemble and disassemble the elements thereoffor portability urposes.

Briefly, as described herein, there is provided a trailer which is usedin supporting a steerable parabolic reflector antenna in its erectedcondition and which is used in the transport of the antenna in itsdisassembled condition. The parabolic reflector involves novelconstructional features involving its assembly whereby the same may beconveniently assembled and disassembled, with the reflecting panelsbeing accurately aligned. In use, the trailer bed acts as one arm of thebase of the elevation and azimuth pedestal system.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to providemeans and techniques whereby the above indicated results may beachieved.

A specific object of the present invention is to provide a reflectorwhich may be conveniently assembled and disassembled.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide areflector and pedestal which in their disassembled conditions areconveniently transportable on a trailer, with the trailer being used inthe erected condition of the reflector as a support for the antenna.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide anarrangement of this character wherein the trailer bed acts as one arm ofthe pedestals tripod base system.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide a novelconstruction of reflector panels which permit their interchangeabilityand yet assure accurate alignment of all of the panels in the compositereflector.

Another specific object of the present invention is to provide novelmeans and techniques whereby a reflector may be erected and disassembledwith respect to a trailer used not only in the transport of thereflector but also as a support for the antenna in its erectedcondition.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. This inventionitself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may be best understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an antenna in its erectedcondition on a trailer in accordance with the features of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which componentsof the antenna in its disassembled condition are mounted or stowed onthe trailer for transport.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view like FIG. 1, with some of the elementsbeing detached for purposes of illustrating the assembly and disassemblyof the reflector.

FIG. 4 is asectional view taken substantially in the direction indicatedby the arrows 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken as indicated by thecorresponding lines 5-5 and 6-6 in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, the reflector 10 on its steerable pedestal 11 issupported on a six-wheeled trailer 12 which is releasably anchored byanchor means 13, 14, 15 and 16, with the trailer bed 17 being liftedsomewhat by three jacks 19, 20 and 21 and 19A, 20A, 21A FIG. 2) on eachside of the trailer to relieve somewhat the forces otherwise present onthe four rear wheels 22, 23, 24 and 25 and the two forward wheels 26, 27steerable, when, as shown in FIG. 2, the trailer is adapted fortransport by applying forces to its draft bar 29.

The trailer bed 17 has, in general, four sections 17A, 17B, 17C and 17D,the section 1713 being a depressed section between the two elevatedsections 17A and 17C over the front and rear wheels, respectively, andthe other section 17D being hinged on section 17C to provide either aramp as in FIG. 1 or, as in FIG. 2, a planar extension of section 17C intransport conditions wherein a truss member 32 pivoted on section ispositioned below section 17B to support the same in a substantiallyhorizontal position above the ground.

The previously mentioned anchor means 15 and 16 are mounted on theforward end of section 17A and are each provided with manually operablescrew-threaded means, as in a screw-threaded jack, for raising orlowering such means; and likewise, the anchor means 13, 14 of likeconstruction are mounted on the ends of outrigger truss members 35, 36,respectively, each pivoted on trailer section 17C.

The tower 11 terminating in a plate 11A at its azimuth bearing ispivotally or hingedly mounted on trailer section 17C and includes twotransversely extending sections 1113 and 11C at its upper end to whichgenerally L-shaped yoke members 11D and 11B, respectively, are pivotallymounted.

The reflector 10 supported by tower 11 includes generally: a two-piececentral hub or center section 40 serving as a reflector and housing forradio-frequency components; twelve removable radial trusses 42; twelveremovable intermediate removable intercostaltrusses 44; twelve removablecircumferential intercostal trusses 46; and twelve removable reflectorpanels 48.

In assembly of the reflector 10, the center section 4 which includes thetwo halves 40A, 40B (FIG. 2) is releasably secured to a pair of alignedelevation drive shafts 41 and 43 on the yoke members 11D, 11E,respectively, such shafts 41, 43 extending through aligned aperturedportions defined by adjacent semicircular cut out portions 40C (FIG. 2)in adjacent halves 40A, 40B. The particular means used to so releasablysecure the center section 40 may take various forms. For example, theshafts 41 and 43 may each be threaded with a pair of threaded clampingsleeves on each shaft serving to clamp the center section therebetween.One of such threaded clamping sleeves is indicated at 49 in FIG. 1.Also, at least one of the shafts maybe motor driven, with the otherbeing journaled for rotation, by a motor mounted on one of the yokemembers for operating the reflector at a continuously adjustableelevation position.

The inner ends of the twelve radial trusses 42 are releasably secured tothe framework of the center section 40 using, for example, clevis pins50, 51 (FIG. 4). Like wise, the endsof the series of intercostal trusses44 and 46 are releasably secured to adjacent radial trusses 42 usingeither bolts or clevis pins.

The panels 48 are releasably secured to the trusses 42, 44 and 46 bybolts using the means and techniques now described in connection withFIGS. and 6.

In FIG. 5, the intercostal strut 46 is provided with a panel mountingbracket 60 which has a grooved shank 60A secured permanently within thetubular frame member 46A by a potting compound 46B which may be a Narmco3150 putty available through Narmeo Division of Whittaker Corporation,San Diego, Calif. The panel 48 is of conventional honeycomb constructionfor lightness and strength and has a threaded insert element. 52 securedtherein by an epoxy cement 54, the element 52 being externally groovedfor the latter purpose.

The insert element 52 is formed with a blind bore 52A and a threadedportion 52C for screw-threadedly receiving a washer element 56 having athreaded shank portion 56A for receiving a fastening bolt 58. It will beseen that the washer element 56 may be unthreaded to provide for itsremoval in which case the panel has no protuberances and can be stockedwith other like panels.

An important feature of the present invention is to provide theparticular fastening for the panel described above, and this involves analignment of the panels on the trusses in a semi-permanent manner priorto and during the time when the epoxy potting agent is allowed to hardenin its final solid mass. In other words, in initial manufacture of thepanels the nut element 52 is free to move therein for alignmentpurposes, and after the panel is maintained in aligned relations withrespect to other elements including adjacent panels, the potting isapplied and allowed to harden in its final condition wherein it thenrigidly secures the nut element 62 in its aligned condition for furtheruse.

As seen in FIG. 6, adjacent panels 48 are secured to the truss member 42using like threaded sockets in the panels. Since these threaded socketsin FIGS. 5 and 6 are identical, elements of the same as well as thewashers and bolts have identical reference numerals. In FIG. 6, thebolts 58 are secured to a strap element 65 having an externally groovedshank portion 65A permanently secured within a tubular portion 66 of thetruss member 42 by a potting compound 67, as in FIG. 5.

It will be seen that each of the intercostal trusses 44 and 46 aresecured, as shown in FIG. 5, to only one intermediate portion of a paneland that each of the radial trusses 42 are secured to adjacentabuttingpanels at a total of four different points, two of the latter pointsbeing indicated at 70 and 71 in FIG. 4. A construction like that shownin FIG. 6 is used to interconnect the panel 73 (FIG. 4) of the centralsection 40 with the radial panels 48. The panel 73 may be permanentlysecured to such center section 40, i.e. it need not be disassembled fromthe center section 40 for transport purposes.

The center section 40 is of two-piece construction, as previouslyindicated, with each piece including frame members as indicated at 75,76, 77, 78 and 79 in FIG. 4, with the panels 40A being secured to thetruss members 77, 79 and 75. For added rigidity, the conical centersection 40 may be braced using a spider element 82, as shown in FIG. 1,having the end of each of its twelve arms releasably secured to acorresponding one of the radial truss members 42.

For transport purposes, elements are disassembled and I stowed on thetrailer for transport as shown in FIG; 2,

the panels 48 being stacked on the trailer section 17D which is nowbraced by the pivoted brace 32'; the elements of the two-piece centersection 40 being stacked and carried on trailer section 17A; the tower11 being pivoted 2 r 4 downwardly to straddle the control box and reston the trailer depressed section 17B with the yoke members 11D and 11Efolded inwardly; the trusses 42, 44 land 46 being carried on the trailersection 17B; the six jacks 19, 20, 21, 19A, 20A- 21A being raised; andthe four anchors 13, 14, 15 and 16 being raised and the Outriggers 35,36 being pivoted inwardly.

The tower 11 when erected is rotatable in azimuth by a motor (not shown)connected by cable 92 to the con-- trol box 90. In such case, the tower11 is rotatably supported on the bearing member 94 on base plate 11A,with the motor mounted on the base plate 11A so that the entire drivingassembly is pivotal upon pivoting base plate 11A from its position shownin FIG. 1 to its position shown in FIG. 2, the cable 92 beingsufficiently flexible for that purpose.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have beenshown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. ha reflector assembly of the character described, a trailer having afirst bed portion overlying wheels thereof; a tower pivoted on said bedportion for movement between a substantially vertical position to asubstantially horizontal position resting on a second trailer bedportion; said tower including two yoke members pivoted thereon formovement between a retracted and extended position; a reflector having atwo-piece center reflector section, each being generally semicircularand being releasably secured to ends of said yoke members; a pluralityof radial truss members each releasably secured at one of their endstosaid center section and diverging radially outwardly; intercostal trussmembers releasably secured to and between said radial truss members; andreflecting panels releasably secured to said radial and intercostaltruss members and defining generally a parabolic reflecting surface.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which a pair of outriggerelements are pivoted on the trailer, and ground anchor members on theends of said outrigger elements.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said first bed portionis raised with respect to said second bed portion.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which each of said panels isof honeycomb construction and an insert member embedded within saidpanels to which said trusses are secured, said insert memberbeingentirely within said panel whereby when disassembled said panels may bestacked one on top of each other on adjacent extended surfaces of thepanels.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which said insert member issecured in said honeycomb panel by a potting compound.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS P. L. G-ENSLER, AssistantExaminer.

Mautner 343-916

